The Rejection (NEW VERSION)

07 | Scar Tissue

Red Hot Chili Peppers — Scar Tissue

seven

We went home soon after the Courtney incident. Only after I promised Thalia that we would plan something that coming weekend, giving me time to readjust and spend time with my parents. I had missed them dearly.

               "—in the end, all I'm saying is that you should watch what you say to that woman, okay, Hope?" Mom sighed as Dad pulled the car into the dark driveway.

I sighed. "Yes, I know. I shouldn't have acted like a child. She just rubbed me the wrong way with that snotty attitude, like she's the damn queen. She seems off to me." I hopped out of the car and followed my parents up the front porch.

"As she should," Dad scoffed from ahead my mother and I. He unlocked the door and instantly flicked on the lights to the living room as we all entered. "She was a rogue. Came around just a few months ago. Honestly, don't know a whole lot about her. She's Jason's mate, but . . . I don't know. Something always seemed weird with those two."

My heart clenched and a tension twisted in my chest. A lump rose in my throat and my eyes started to develop tunnel vision. "What do you mean?" I asked, kicking off my shoes by the door and following my dad to the kitchen that connected to the living room. Mom quietly went in the other direction, assumably to their bedroom up the stairs.

Dad flicked on the kitchen lights and grabbed a beer from the fridge. With a click of his tongue and a pop from the blue can, he made himself comfortable at the small dining table. He ran a hand through his short blonde hair and took a swig of his drink. "I really shouldn't be saying anything, it's just my own suspicion anyway. Well, at least nobody else has said that they think it too, but, well," he shrugged and gave a slow, thoughtful head shake. "I don't think Courtney is really his mate."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Why do you say that?"

               Dad's green eyes connected with mine, they seemed to search for something. A cloud, perhaps suspicion, shaded his eyes. A moment later and he sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You will understand when you find your mate. When your mother and I found each other it was like . . . it was like nothing could keep us apart. And Jason is always the first to head out on searches or attacks and whatever else, which is respectable for an Alpha–I'll give him that–but your mate is supposed to make you a better person. Now, Jason's not that bad of a guy, he's just gotta get that damn temper under control and be a little bit more, ah, sociable, ya know? But that Courtney, jeez. What a disaster."

               I took the seat adjacent to my father, feeling more relaxed. I just wanted to talk about something else. "So, where's Klaus at? You never told me. And when's he supposed to be back? I miss him."

               Dad wouldn't make eye contact with me. He rubbed his wrinkling forehead and took a huge gulp of his drink. "Well, I don't know where he's at or when he'll be back honestly. I couldn't bring myself to tell you when you asked, but right after he graduated he, uh, signed on to be a hunter."

               My heart instantly dropped. "A hunter?" I mumbled. Within our fantasy world of wolves, we are natural born hunters. We love the thrill and the connection to our animalistic instincts, but there was a small subgroup of our breed–the hunters, as they were fittingly named. Their goal was to eliminate those who threatened our species, which could be rogues, extremist packs, or even the occasional human trying to wipe us out. It was an incredibly dangerous job. "Why would he do that? When was the last time you've heard from him?"